Foldable umbrella frame



July 15. 1969 G. V065; 3,455,312

FOLDABLE UMBRELLA FRAME Filed June 1'7, 1968 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1 July 15,1969 s. VOGEL 3,455,312

FOLDABLE UMBRELLA FRAME Y Filed June 17, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Int. Cl. A45b 19/04, 19/06, 19/08 US. Cl. 135-23 9Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pocket umbrella with an umbrellastick having two sections telescopically arranged with regard to eachother and with roof bars each having an inner roof bar section and anouter roof bar section telescopically engaging each other while a mainrunner on said umbrella stick has one end of said main stays pivotallyconnected to said main runner whereas the other end of said main staysis connected to the respective adjacent outer roof bar section. Theumbrella furthermore comprises an auxiliary runner having connectedthereto one end of auxiliary stays the other ends of which arerespectively pivotally connected to the main stays. Finally, there areprovided spring means having one portion connected to the auxiliaryrunner while another portion acts upon the auxiliary stays so as tocontinuously urge the same in the umbrella unfolding position forimparting to the outer roof bars an initial outward movement with regardto the inner roof bars.

urged in opening direction of the roof bars. With a pocket umbrellaframe, the umbrella stick is composed of two sections telescopicallyarranged with regard to each other so that one stick section is movableinto and out of the other to thereby extend said umbrella stick to itslength of use or to collapse the umbrella stick from its length of use.As is well known and standard with collapsible umbrella frames, the roofbars consist of inner and outer bar sections which telescopically slideon each other during the telescopic movement of the stick sections.

When the stick of a pocket umbrella, after the stick spring has beendisengaged, is pulled apart to its length of use and when 'it is desiredby displacing the main runner along the umbrella stick away from thestick handle, 'to open the umbrella, it sometimes happens that when theumbrella is opened against the wind, the outer roof bar sections do notslide out from the inner roof bar sections but are pushed into .the sameduring the opening movement of the main runner until the auxiliaryrunner hits the umbrella crown, so that the umbrella does not open. Insuch an instance, it is necessary to move the main runner again towardthe umbrella handle so as to prepare the umbrella for another openingattempt. In this connection, care has to be taken that the pulled apartroof bars will, during the upward movement of the ice the interventionof the main stays, the roof bars will not again be pushed together butwill be spread apart so that the umbrella will be opened.

Thus, umbrellas of the above-mentioned type have the drawback that whenopening the umbrella from its extended position by transmitting themovement of the main runner on the stick to the roof bars, the roof barsare sometimes again pushed together because the roof bars cannot betilted sufficiently far from the stick in the direction of the openingmovement.

For purposes of aiding this opening movement, it is known between themain stays and the auxiliary stays to provide small tension springs. Itis also known at the pivot connection of the stays with the roof bars toprovide small springs. The mounting of the springs at these areas,however, is complicated and furthermore, there exists the danger thatthe umbrella cover or material will be damaged.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide anumbrella frame which will bring about that immediately after releasingthe stick spring, an unfolding effect is exerted upon the auxiliarystays and thereby through said auxiliary stays upon the roof bars sothat when unfolding the umbrella, an undesired telescoping movement ofthe roof bars into each other will be avoided.

It is another object of this invention to provide an umbrella frame asset forth in the preceding paragraph, which will greatly simplify themounting of the springs and will, for all practical purposes, preventany damage of the umbrella cover by such springs.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a view of an umbrella frame according to thepresent invention which, however, for purposes of simplicity, shows onlytwo oppositely located roof bars;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1 but shows a modifiedspring;

FIGURE 3 represents a section taken along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the line IVIV of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 shows a modified arrangement according to the invention, inwhich one spring simultaneously acts upon two adjacent auxiliary stays;

FIGURE 6 illustrates an arrangement similar to but differing from thatof FIGURE 5 in that a single spring arm has two branches respectivelylooped around two adjacent auxiliary stays;

FIGURES 7 and 8 respectively illustrate in an isometric elevation andtop view a further modification of the auxiliary runner with the springmeans pettaining thereto.

An umbrella frame according to the present invention has the roof barsconnected to the main runner by means of stays which in turn areconnected to an auxiliary runner by means of auxiliary stays. Theseauxiliary stays are spring-biased in closed condition of the umbrella soas to urge the roof bars to move in opening direction. The socalledpocket type umbrella frame according to the invention is characterizedprimarily in that preferably, two op positely located auxiliary staysare, by means of spreading springs arranged on the auxiliary runner,biased so as to be urged to move in opening direction of the umbrella.

According to a practical embodiment of this invention, the spreadingsprings may have two legs, and their ends may be held by a sleeveslipped onto the auxiliary runner while the Zenith point of saidtwo-legged spring is passed around the auxiliary stay pertainingthereto. If desired, however, the spreading spring may be designed as aonelegged spring, in which instance one end is wound around theauxiliary stay. In this way, the spring force can easily be transmittedto the auxiliary stays. It will be appreciated that when the auxiliarystays are spread apart, also the roof bars are spread apart whereby theumbrella is forced open.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the roof bars 2 linked to theumbrella crown 1 are in a manner known per se linked to the main stays 3which in turn are linked to the main runner 4. Slidably arranged on theumbrella stick 5 is an auxiliary runner 6 which through the interventionof auxiliary stays 7 is linked to the main stays 3.

In order with an umbrella frame of the just-mentioned type to assurethat immediately after releasing the main runner, an unfolding effectwill be exerted upon the umbrella frame, the auxiliary runner 6 isprovided with spreading or unfolding springs 8. These springs 8 may beof a two-legged type so that the zenith portion 8a (FIG. 3) of springs 8will rest and press against the bottom side of auxiliary stays 7 so a tourge the same to pivot in the umbrella opening direction. The free ends8b of these springs rest against the auxiliary runner 6 and are held bya sleeve 9 slipped thereover. As will be seen from FIG. 1, twooppositely located auxiliary stays 7 may be equipped with these springs8, and usually the provision of two of these springs will sufiice forobtaining the necessary spreading or unfolding effect.

The embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 4 corresponds in general to that of FIGS.1 and 3. However, according to FIGS. 2 and 4, one-legged springs 10 areemployed which are held on the auxiliary runner 6 by means of a wire 11serving for fastening the auxiliary stays. One end 10a of spring 10 iswound around the respective adjacent auxiliary stay 7, whereas the otherend 10b rests against auxiliary runner 6 and, if desired, may be coveredby a sleeve not shown in the drawing.

It is to be understood that also a two-legged spring 8 may, similar tothe one-legged spring 10, be held on the auxiliary runner by means ofbinding wire 11, in which instance the free ends of the two-leggedspring would extend downwardly and engage the auxiliary runner 6.

As will be evident from the above, the one-legged spring 10 and thetwo-legged spring 8 act upon an auxiliary stay. It is, however, alsopossible to design those spring areas which contact the stays somewhatwider so that one spring can act simultaneously upon two or moreauxiliary stays. Such a design is shown by way of example in FIG. 5according to which spring 80 is somewhat U-shaped with the legs taperingtoward each other while the portions 8d of spring 80 extend below but inengagement with the auxilary stays 7.

The modification shown in FIG. 6 in which a single spring likewise actsupon two auxiliary stays, differs from the design of FIG. 5 in that thesingle spring arm 10 has branches 10a, 10: each of which has its freeend looped around the respective adjacent auxiliary stay 7.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, respectively showing in isometricelevation and top view a further modified auxiliary runner, the runner6a shown therein is provided with two spreader springs 12 and a sleeve13 having inside pockets 13a and being slipped over the auxiliary runner6a. By means of this sleeve 13, which is force-fitted over the upper endof the runner 6a, the free ends of the one-leg springs 12 are heldagainst the auxiliary runner. The spreader springs 12, which preferablyare metal springs, are shown in relaxed condition and are substantiallyT-shaped with the ends or arms 12 of the transverse beam of the Tslightly angled inwardly so that the cover of the umbrella frame cannotbecome damaged. The auxiliary stays 7 loosely rest upon the arms 12a ofthe spreader 4 spring 12 when the umbrella frame is closed or nearlyclosed. In the particular showing of FIGS. 7 and 8, only two auxiliarystays 7 rest on each spreader spring 12. However, it will be appreciatedthat it is possible, without difficulty to extend the arms 12a laterallyto such an extent that also three, four or more auxiliary stays 7 can beengaged by the arms 12a to bepre-spread thereby during the start of theopening phase of the umbrella.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular arrangements shown in the drawings, butalso comprises any modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. An umbrella frame which includes: an umbrella stick, a crown arrangedat one end of said stick, a plurality of roof bars having inner andouter roof bar sections telescopically engaging each other with theinner roof bar sections pivotally connected to said crown, a main runnerslidably mounted on said stick, a plurality of main stays respectivelyhaving the outer end portionsthereof pivotally connected to said outerroof bar sections and respectively having their inner end portionspivotally connected to said main runner, an auxiliary runner slidablyarranged on said stick between said'crown and said main runner, aplurality of auxiliary stays respectively having one end portion thereofpivotally connected to said main stays and respectively having the otherend portions pivotally connected to said auxiliary runner, and aplurality of spring means respectively having one portion supported bysaid auxiliary runner so as to be movable therewith and respectivelyhaving another portion operatively connected to the respective adjacentauxiliary stay at an area radially outwardly spaced from said umbrellastick, said spring means continuously urging the respective adjacentauxiliary stays to move in the umbrella unfolding direction.

2. An umbrella frame according to claim 1, in which each of said springmeans is a two-legged spring having a portion interconnecting said legsat one end portion thereof and extending around a portion of therespective adjacent auxiliary stay and having the free leg ends inengagement with said auxiliary runner, and means for holding said freeleg ends on said auxiliary runner.

3. An umbrella frame according to claim 2, in which said means forholding the free leg ends on said auxiliary runner is formed by a sleevesupported by said auxiliary runner.

4. An umbrella frame according to claim 1, in which each of said springmeans is a one-legged spring having.

one end portion extending around a portion of the respective adjacentauxiliary stay and having another end portion connected to aid auxiliaryrunner.

5. An umbrella frame according to claim 1, in which one portion of eachof said spring means engages at least two auxiliary stays.

6. An umbrella frame according to claim 1, in which said spring meansare U-shaped and have the cross-bar of said U-shaped contour inengagement with a plurality of adjacent auxiliary stays and continuouslyurging the latter to pivot in a direction toward the umbrella crown andhaving the free leg ends of said U-shaped contour linked to saidauxiliary runner.

7. An annular frame. according to claim 1, in which each of said springmeans is-T-shaped, the free end of the stem of said T-shaped springmeans being linked to said auxiliary runner and the free ends of thecross-bar of said T-shaped spring means being at least partially loopedaround respective adjacent auxiliary stays.

8. An umbrella frame according to claim 1, which includes sleeve meansfirmly mounted on said auxiliary runner and provided with pocketsarranged on the inside of and circumferentially distributed over saidsleeve means, and in which said spring means are formed by leaf springsrespectively having one end portion firmly located in one of saidpockets and having another end portion in engagement with the respectiveadjacent auxiliary stay.

9. An umbrella frame according to claim 8, in which said leaf springsare T-shaped, the cross-arm of the T- shape contour engaging adjacentauxiliary stays and having its outer ends bent in the direction towardsaid auxiliary runner.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner

